Commercially available three dimensional printers, such as the Projet™ 3D Printers manufactured by 3D Systems of Rock Hill, S.C., use a build material or ink that is jetted through a print head as a liquid to form various thermopolymer parts. Other three dimensional printing systems also use a build material that is jetted through a print head. In some instances, the build material is solid at ambient temperatures and converts to liquid at elevated jetting temperatures. In other instances, the build material is liquid at ambient temperatures.
Moreover, production of a three-dimensional part in a 3D printing system often requires the use of a support material in conjunction with the build material. The support material is also jetted through a print head as a liquid and consists of hydrophobic chemical species that are solid at ambient temperatures and liquid at elevated jetting temperatures. However, unlike the build material, the support material is subsequently removed to provide the finished three-dimensional part.
Removal of the support material can be administered through several processes, including heating the support material to a temperature above its melting point in conjunction with the use of a suitable organic carrier to sufficiently remove the support material from the build material. In some cases, the organic carrier deposits an undesirable oily residue on the completed three-dimensional part. Furthermore, the use of elevated temperatures in addition to a suitable organic carrier, in some situations, can compromise the mechanical integrity of the finished three-dimensional part resulting in part deformation or failure.